Automatic pumping system.



WITNESStS; INVENTOR I; [ar/ EEby l ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

and. E. EB Y; 0E WILKINSBURG, YENNSYfJVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 'WESTINGHOUSE- ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING CDMPANY A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- yams.

may be automatically connected to, and disconnected from, the interior of a closed container, in accordance with pressure; changes therein, ina simple and effective manner.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of th various elements of. a, pumping system embodying my invention. a

' desirable that'the vacuum be maintained at 'r'atus be connected thereto from time to In the operation of a various. types of exhausted apparatus, such, for example, as vapor converters o'f'themetal-casetype, it is a certain value, and, if minute leaks are present, it 1s necessary that pumping appatime. It is furthermore desirable to employ a valve of the solid-seal type, such as is dis closed and claimed in a copending applica- 1 tionof E. Rose, Serial No. 61,085, filed Nov. 12, 1915, and assigned to the .VVesting house Electric & Manufacturing Company,

between the exhausted container and the pumping apparatus. It is still further desirable, with the extremely. high degree of vacuum employed in apparatus of the chara'cter specified, that the'pumping apparatus itself'be highly exhausted when connect-ion is made to the containen By my invention, I provide meansvvhere- .by, when the degree of vacuum within the container falls to a predetermined value, a

pumpingdevlee first actuated to exhaust itsel to a high value, av valve is then opened to connect saidexhausting device to the contrainer and, furthermore, wherebv,.when the vacuum within the container has b en raised to a predetermined value, said valve is. first closed and said pumping device is there- "after stopped.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a more detailed understanding of my invention, a vapor converter of the metali case type is shown at land embodies a main anode 2, a main cathode 3 and a keep-alive 'au'roma'rlc'rumrme srs'mm.

Specification. of team; ratent.

circuit 4, as is usual in theart. A vacuum gage 5 of the hot-wire type is exposed to the interior of the container 1 and is connected to a bridgefi for the operation of a. role 7, all as is shoiviia nd claimed in a copen 111g application of William Tschudy, SerialNo.

tion therefrom so as to cause radical changes.

in the resistance thereof, whereb the balance of the bridge 6 is distu'rbe to bring about the operation otthe relay 7 in a similar manner to the operation of the galvanometer bridge. i I Pumping apparatus'eomprisin a rougliing pump 8, and a ffinishing pump 9, drivenby a suitable motor 10, is connected to thc interior of the container 1 'throu h. the valve 11 of the solid-seal type, as escribed and claimed in the above-mentioned application of E. E. Rose. Briefly speaking, the valve 11 comprises an upwardly ex tending tube 12 surrounded, at its upper end, by an annular pool 13 of readily fusible material, such, for example, as solder. A cap 14 surmounts the upper edge of the tube 12 and, when the lower edge is submerged in in the ordinary Wheatstone.

' Patented Dec. 4, 1917. Application filed November 29, 1915. Serial m. 34,046.

the pool 13, causes a tight and "effective closure of the said tube 12. A solenoid 15 surrounds the valve and is arranged to actuate an armature lfi to raise'and lower the cap 14, as desired. A heating winding 17 surrounds the valve 11 adjacent to the pool 13 for the fusion thereof. circuit closer 18 is intimately associated with A thermostatic the winding .17 for a purpose to be hereinafter pointed out.

A wire-type vacuum gage 19, similar to the gage 5, ismounted so as to be exposed to the interior of the finishing? pump 9 and controlsthe operation of a bridge 20 which,

in turn, operates a 'relay 21. A double-coil electro-magnetic switch 22 is arranged tobe operated by the relay 7 and tosupply current to the motor 10 from a'suitable source 23 and, in like manner, an electromagnetic switch 24 is arranged to be controlled by the relay 21 and to.. supply current to thesoleacid .15 and. t0 the heating winding-17.

' high, ut gradually falling, degree of vacuum within the'container 1, the resistance of thefila'ment within the gage 5 radually changes until the bridge 6 is unba anced to such a (1 ea as to cause the u ward move? ment of t e contact member 0 the relay 7,

energizing the closingcoil of the electromagnetic switch 22 and supplying current to the motor 10 through wires 25 and 26, thus starting the pumps 8 and 9 into operation. When the vacuum within the ump 9 is raised to a value equal to, or higher than, that in the container 1, the gage 19 causes such unbalancing of the bridge 20 asv to operate the relay 21, energizing the electromagnetic switch 24 and closing a circuit to the solenoid 15 and to'the heating winding 17 through wires 27 and 28. Fusion of the pool 13 and the raising of the cap 14 by the armature l6 follows, and the pumping apparatus is-operatively connected to the Interior of the container 1.

When the vacuum within the container 1 has been raised to a predetermined high of the thermostat 18. The deenergization of the solenoid 15 permits the armature 16 and the cap 14 to drop thus sealing the lower edge of the cap 15 in the fused sealing ma terial 13. Were the pumps 8 and 9 stop d immediately, it might well happen t at backward leakage therethrough would cause sufficient accumulation of pressure above the cap 14 to force the fused sealing fluid into the container 1, with subsequent leakage. It is desirable, therefore, thatthe umps 8 and 9 be operated for an appreciab e period of time, thus permitting the mass 13 to solidify and thereby acquire sufficient rigidity to prevent the above described action. To this end, the thermostatic circuitcloser 18 is intimately associated with the heating coil 17 and placed in shunt to the contact members of the switch 2 When the heat coil 17 is energized, the evice 18 is closed by the heatthereof and, according] after theopening of the switch 22 and t e consequent dcenergization of the winding 17, current continues to flow to the motor 10 through the device 18 for a. considerable period of time, after which, solidification of the pool 13 having ensued, the motor 10 may be permitted to stop.

' container.

While I have particularly described my invention in connection with the evacuation 'of a vapor converter, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art that it is capable of general application, not only in the control of the ressure within various types of evacuate apparatus but also for t e accurate control of the pressure within containers adapted.to operate at, or above, atmospheric pressure.

While I have described my invention in its preferred form, it will, furthermore, be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is susceptible of various other minor changes and modifications without departing from 'the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore.

that only such' limitations shall he placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended laims.

I claim as my invention: 1. The combination with a closed container, of exhausting a paratus associated therewith, a valve there etween, and means for automatically starting said exhausting apparatus when the vacuum falls below a certain value and for.subsequently opening saidvalve.

2. The combination with a closed container, of exhausting apparatus associated therewith, a valve therebetween, and means for automatically closing" said valve when the vacuum in said container attains a predetermined value and for subsequently'stopping said exhausting apparatus.

3. The combination with aclosed con tainer, of exhausting a paratus associated therewith, a valve there tween, means for automatically starting said exhausting a'p- .paratus when the vacuum within said container falls to a certain'value, and means for opening said valve when the vacuum within said exhausting a paratus has risen to a higher-than that ingsaid value equal to or The combination with a closed contamer, of main circuit-controlling meant'associated therewith and operable in accprd-' ance with the degree of vacuum therein, an electrically controlled exhausting 'deyice connected with the interior of said container, and a circuit connecting said controlling means with said exhausti device whereby said device is started w en the vacuum within said container falls below a predetermined value.

5. The combination with a closed container, of main circuit-controlling means as sociated therewith and operable'in accordance with the degree of vacuum therein, an electrically controlled exhausting device connected with the interior of said container, an electrically controlled valve in the line between said exhausting device and said container, supplemental circuit controlling means, operable by, the degree of vacuum within said exhausting device, and a control circuit connecting said devices wherein said exhausting device is directly subject to said main controlling means and whereby said valve is subj'fcct both tosaid main and to said auxiliary controlling means, whereby, upon a decrease in pressure within said container, said exhausting means are first operated until :1 pressure is attained therein substan tially equal to that in said container and whereby said valve is then opened to connect the mterlor 'of said container to said exhausting device.

6. The combination] with a closed container, of main circuit controlling means associated therewith and operable in accordance with the degree of vacuum therein, an electrically controlled exhausting device connected with the interior of said container, and a time element device associated with said exhausting device and arranged to maintain the same in operation for a definite period after the change inpressure within said container has caused the opening of the supply circuit by said main controlling device.

7. The combination with a closed coir tainer, of main circuit-controlling means assoclated therewith and operable in accord ance with the degree of vacuum therein, an electrically controlled exhausting device connected with the mtcrlor of said container, a slow-act ng electrically controlled valve in the line between said exhaustin device and said container, and an auxi iary supply circuit embodying a tnnewlement circuit-opening devlce for said exhausting device, whereby, when the main supply circuit is opened by a change of pressure within said container, said exhausting device will be maintained in operation until the closing of. said valve.

8. 'lhe combination with a closed container, of main circuit-controlling means as-,

sociatcd therewith and operable in accordance with the degree of vacuum therein, an

exhausting device including a thermostat adjacentsaid heating device, whereby, when the mam supply c1rcu1t'for said exhausting device is opened by a rcssure change within said container, current will be sup lied to saidexhaustingdevice until the solidification of said sealing material occurs.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20thv day of Nov. 1915.

EARL E. EBY." 

